A new Chick-fil-A restaurant on East Fordham Road has begun serving the Bronx community, having opened on Thursday, April 11. Chick-fil-A, Inc. representatives said it selected Roberto Ruiz as the independent, franchised, local owner-operator of the new restaurant.

 

Located at 201 East Fordham Road, representatives said the new restaurant is open for dine-in and carry-out from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and third-party delivery is also available. They said the East Fordham Road restaurant joins 20 other Chick-fil-A restaurants currently serving New York City.

 

According to representatves, the franchise model is essential to how the restaurant chain operates. They said most Chick-fil-A restaurants are owned and operated by a single individual, which means local owner-operators are small business owners, not passive investors, who they said work in their restaurants side-by-side with their teams each day.

 

In The Bronx, they said Ruiz will be responsible for all day-to-day activities of the business, including employing around 90 full-time and part-time team members, serving guests, “cultivating relationships with local organizations and businesses, and tailoring philanthropic efforts to meet the Bronx community’s needs.”

 

According to Chick-Fil-A, Ruiz has called New York home for over a decade, where he lives with his wife, Diandra, and their 7-year-old daughter, Annie. Originally from Puebla, Mexico, Ruiz said he is excited to welcome The Bronx’s dynamic community to the new East Fordham Road location and to showcase what he described as the signature level of care and food quality he fell in love with years ago.

 

“As a Mexican immigrant, I’ve always dreamt of being an entrepreneur and living the American dream, and the unique local owner-operator model at Chick-fil-A allows me to live out my dream,” Ruiz said. “I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to make a positive, long-lasting impact on The Bronx and Latino communities and develop passionate leaders.”

 

According to Chick-fil-A, the business is built to add a positive impact beyond profit, including giving back to local communities. Chick-fil-A representatives said local owner-operators are empowered to support the neighborhoods they serve with a key focus on hunger, education, and specific community needs. In celebration of the opening, its representatives said Chick-fil-A, Inc. donated $25,000 to Feeding America, and the funds will be distributed to partners in the greater New York City area to aid in the fight against hunger.

 

Meanwhile, they said Ruiz’s restaurant will be participating in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table^® program, an initiative that redirects surplus food from the restaurant to local soup kitchens, shelters, food banks and nonprofits in need. To date, representatives said more than 25 million meals have been created from Chick-fil-A Shared Table donations from over 2,000 Chick-fil-A restaurants throughout the U.S. and Canada. In addition, the company said Chick-fil-A East Fordham Road is recognizing 100 local heroes making an impact in The Bronx by providing them with free Chick-fil-A entrées for a year.

 

According to Chick-fil-A, Inc., it is the third largest, quick-service restaurant company in the United States, with more than 200,000 team members employed by independent, owner-operators in more than 3,000 restaurants across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

 

Representatives said, “Chick-fil-A local, owner-operators strive to hire, develop and retain top talent, helping future leaders optimize their skills and provide pathways for personal and professional development in a welcoming, purpose-driven environment.” They said a career at Chick-fil-A offers a wide range of benefits, including hands-on training and mentoring, competitive pay and benefits, the chance to apply for scholarships to support continued education, and the flexibility to thrive in and outside of work.

 

Additionally, representatives said Chick-fil-A’s local owner-operators are committed to preparing their teams for the future. To date, they said Chick-fil-A has awarded 1,229 scholarships in New York City, totaling over $2.4 million to support continued education for its team members. To learn more about careers at Chick-fil-A, click here.

 

When it comes to the food itself, according to Chick-fil-A representatives, their products are made with real, whole, boneless breast of chicken with no added fillers. They said the breaded chicken is pressure cooked in fully-refined peanut oil, and to complement the chicken, fresh produce is delivered to Chick-fil-A restaurants up to six times a week.

 

They said customers of Chick-fil-A on East Fordham Road can now place an order for pick-up or dine-in on the their app or online. When joining the Chick-fil-A One^® tiered membership program, they said Chick-fil-A One members receive points on every qualifying purchase which can be used to redeem available rewards. To view delivery options in the area, click here.